Man detained for allegedly passing defense secrets to China
ROC Central News Agency
2016/07/13 16:40:24
Kaohsiung, July 13 (CNA) A 33-year-old Taiwanese man, surnamed Chuang (莊), has been detained and held incommunicado for allegedly passing Taiwan's defense secrets to China, Kaohsiung prosecutors said Wednesday.
The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors' Office said it received a tipoff from military police in Pingtung County last year, alleging that active duty and retired servicemen were collecting military secrets for China.
After a lengthy investigation, prosecutors searched 11 locations in Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County and Tainan City recently and discovered flash drives and confidential military documents, according to the office.
Prosecutors questioned Chuang and five of his alleged accomplices and detained Chuang on suspicion of violating the National Security Act.
Four of the suspects were released on bail of between NT$20,000 (US$621) and NT$40,000, while one was sent home after questioning, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Chuang began contacting people in China through Skype in April last year. The contact Chuang developed there then treated him to a trip to China and convinced him to pass military secrets to the Chinese in exchange for money, prosecutors said.
After returning to Taiwan, Chuang recruited retired and active duty service members to collect intelligence for him.
The suspects allegedly passed confidential military information to the Chinese more than 20 times between May 2015 and June this year, receiving over NT$1 million in return, prosecutors said.
Taiwanese authorities are now checking the nature of the leaked documents and investigating to see if others are involved.
(By Chang Che-fon and Christie Chen)
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